


Dragon Age: 7 Years in Kirkwall

by PreDead_Ghost



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Romance, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:14:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25466089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PreDead_Ghost/pseuds/PreDead_Ghost
Summary: Gideon Hawke was the champion of the Free Marches' Kirkwall when it fell apart. These are the 7 years that Hawke spent with his friends and family, trying to keep them from the corrupting madness within the city.
Relationships: Fenris/Hawke (Dragon Age), Fenris/Male Hawke
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue: Fleeing the Blight  
Ferelden was usually cold on days like these, but the Hawke family felt an extra chill in the form of the youngest son’s absence, Carver Hawke. Bethany kept their mother, Leandra’s, hopes up by reading the letters her twin sent to them. Gideon Hawke kept the spirits mostly bright amongst the family with his jokes but when no one was awake he would pace just outside lothering, near the farms Carver and Gideon would dual by, to Gideon, Carver still seemed like the young boy that couldn’t hold the wooden sword right, the kid Bethany and Gideon would chase with flaming sticks, the child that their late father Malcom would scold for pulling up the carrots and potatoes wrong. It was hard to see Carver as an adult when the memories of their childhood seemed so recent. But Bethany and Carver were both strong adults of 20, and it was time for Carver to protect Ferelden from the blight, right alongside the king.  
Gideon started pacing the stone bridge to lothering thinking of the day Carver left.  
“You’ve always been on a quest to make Dad proud aren’t you Carver?” Gideon had said ruffling Carver’s hair. Their mother was fretting but Gideon cut her off, “Everything will be fine right brother?”  
“Yes, I’m not even going to be on the front lines,” Carver said pushing Gideon’s hand from his curly black hair.  
“Make sure you don’t leave any of those exciting stories to yourself, Carver.” Gideon said while ruffling Carver’s hair with his other hand.  
Bethany stepped in the way, waving Gideon away from Carver the two of them laughing, “Oh quite teasing him. But please share some stories with us, I’m quite jealous that you get to go fight alongside the king, it must be nice to not have to hide like us…”  
“You don’t have to hide, you know, you and brother can just turn yourselves into the templars and get easier lives.”  
“Carver!”  
Bethany stepped in front of Carver, confrontationally, but Gideon split the two up. “Now come on. Lets not have this conversation again.”  
“I agree, listen to your brother you two.” Leandra finally said stepping in.  
The twins huffed turning away from each other in defeat, Gideon patted their shoulder laughing. And with that they had to say a final goodbye to the not so little Carver.  
That was what could be the last time Gideon saw Carver, the last time any of the Hawke family saw Carver, even if they fought, the possibility that his little brother might have died fighting the darkspawn, Gideon would be proud of Carver for being a hero, but he didn’t want a hero, he wanted a little brother.  
He was lost in these thoughts when he heard a shout.  
“Gideon we need to get out of Lothering.” It was Carver’s voice, he was running up the bridge to where Gideon was walking, Carver didn’t wait and talk to Gideon he kept running past waving for Gideon to follow. Which he did.  
They ran to their home on the edge of Lothering to speak with their family. When Carver staggered into the house Bethany was fixing her mother something to eat. Leandra hurried to hug Carver.  
“Carver you’re safe I can’t believe-”  
“Mother, we need to get out of Lothering, the darkspawn are coming.”  
Bethany stepped away from the kitchen, “Carver what in the Maker’s name are you talking about, I thought the darkspawn would have all been defeated in the battle at Ostagar!”  
“Yes wasn’t that the point of you going off to fight with the king!” Leandra started to become hysterical.  
“That’s what was supposed to happen, but the fight failed, Logain called for a retreat and the king died. I’ve been running since so we don’t get caught in a battle with more darkspawn!” Carver said between breaths.  
“Are you sure they’ll be coming this way?” Gideon asked, sitting Carver and his mother down, “Maybe they’ll head straight to Denirim?”  
“Yes we’re such a small town, Carver are you sure we’ll be in any danger?” Leandra asked holding on to Carver's arm.  
Bethany patted Leandra’s shoulder, “I don’t think darkspawn much care for who their target could be. I know it’ll hurt to leave our home behind, but. Father would rather us leave our home behind than risk our lives protecting an old home.”  
“Yes. I suppose you’re right Bethany, let me say a prayer and we’ll head out…”  
Gideon motioned for Bethany to follow before saying, “Bethany and I will pack some things up, Carver catch your breath, and we’ll be out of Lothering in no time, don’t worry.”  
The Hawke’s gathered some of their treasured possessions just in time for the darkspawn to be closing in on Lothering, they made their way to the hills just beyond the little town barely in time to escape the collapse of the home Gideon had lived his entire life in.  
The only belonging of Gideon’s he decided to keep was the staff his father gave to him on his 7th birthday, two years after Bethany and Carver were born, and the year that his father died. The rest of his bag was reserved for food and bandages. As they climbed the hills darkspawn started closing in on them. Gideon rushed the four of them to a small clearing before killing the darkspawn, he slashed the first with his staff’s blade before lighting them on fire, allowing Carver to finish them off with a vertical slice, then Bethany rose an ice wall between them and the incoming horde.  
“That should be all of them,” Carver painted leaning against Gideon.  
“For now at least. I hope my ice wall will keep them at bay.”  
Bethany helped Leandra up as she said, “Maker save us, we’ve lost it all! Everything your father and I built!”  
“I know mother, but we need to keep going.”  
“Why are they already here, we should have left sooner!” Bethany yelled as they started walking down the road again.  
“Don’t look at me,” Carver defended, “I’ve been running since Ostagar!”  
“Let’s wait until we’re safe to point fingers at each other,” Gideon motioned for the twins to pick up speed to keep in toe with their mother and brother, “We need to get out of here.”  
Bethany paused, “But where are we going? I know we’re running from the darkspawn but we can’t just wander aimlessly.”  
“I don’t care where we go, as long as it’s out of the way of the darkspawn.”  
“But we need somewhere to go.”  
“We can go to Kirkwall,” Leandra chimed in.  
“That wouldn’t be my first choice mother, you know me and Bethany are mages.”  
“There are a lot of templars in Kirkwall mother, it can’t be safe for us.”  
“I know you’re concerned, but we have family there, as well as an estate, we’ll be safe there.”  
“Come on, let’s keep moving!” Carver shouted, firmly ahead of the rest of the Hawkes.  
The three sped up to catch up to Carver who was cutting through a few darkspawn, as the three in front were defeated three more took their place behind Bethany and Gideon. The two mages stabbed the darkspawn before engulfing them in flames. The Hawkes could hear more fighting up ahead and as they closed in on the new group, a young girl with the same ginger hair as Gideon, she was fighting alongside a man in templar armor. He looked like he had taken a pretty bad hit.  
“Are you two okay?” Gideon asked as he kicked the last darkspawn down the cliffside path, “Your templar friend seems to have taken a bad hit.”  
“Halt mage.”  
“I was hoping you hadn’t noticed that little bit…”  
“Wesley dear, the Maker understands, they saved us. My name is Aveline Vallen, the templar here is Wesley, my husband.”  
Gideon stepped forward, “I can heal up that wound for you, it doesn’t seem too bad.”  
With Wesley’s wound sealed the five of them started rushing down the path.  
“My name is Gideon, and these are my siblings Bethany and Carver, I’m sure you can guess who’s who, and the woman in the back is Leandra, my mother.”  
Aveline ushered for the group to follow the southern path into the Wilds. “We came from the north, away from Ostagar. We barely made it out through all the carnage.”  
“You were a soldier, so you saw the destruction of the army too.”  
“The darkspawn took us through betrayal, this hoard won’t have the same advantage.”  
They moved through the paths of darkspawn Carver and Aveline slicing through them with ease, Wesley helping as best he could while Gideon and Bethany asist from a distance.  
The group made their way to the first wide clearing in the Wilds when load stomping could be heard from the path ahead. More darkspawn funneled in just as an ogre barrelled through knocking Wesley out of its path, Gideon stepped forward trying to freeze the beast with his magic but the Ogre was too strong, it broke free running right into Bethany, who was preparing a large fireball in front of her mother. grabbing her and throwing her into the stone cliff to the side. Leandra screamed and ran to Bethany’s side.  
Gideon sent lightning billowing through the arm of the ogre as it turned its attention to Carver. Carver turned and sent his claymore through the shin of the beast, Aveline helped him get it out by bashing the opening wider with her shield, loosening the bone’s grip. As the ogre reached for the two below it Gideon sent a stone fist into its knuckle, knocking the hand off course.  
Another three genlock darkspawn sent arrows flying into the side of Aveline, most of the arrows were deflected off her shield, but two lodged themselves between pieces of her leather armor, making her stagger back. Carver covered her by making a wide swing behind her, cutting through two large hurlocks, Gideon threw a fireball into the archers attacking Aveline, as she recoveredtaking another swing at the ogre, jumping up to bash her shield into its head as she makes a clean cut into its shoulder. Gideon leapt forward to catch her fall.  
Carver took his sword and dove it into the ogre’s chest pulling the claymore down through its stomach. The ogre keeled over about to die as Aveline shoves her sword through the neck of the ogre.  
The three of them back away from the beast as it crashes onto the hard dirt clearing. Three genlocks closed in on them. Hawke sent another fireball starting to back away as Aveline and Carver cut through the several hurlocks closing in on Leandra and Bethany.  
When the darkspawn were dead the Hawke’s ran to their sister.  
Gideon pressed his hand to her wound blue light radiating out attempting to heal her corpse, “Bethany… Please, the battle’s over you can wake up.”  
Aveline and her husband stagger over, Wesley’s eyes darkening from the blight’s corruption, “I’m sorry ma’am, but there’s nothing you can do about your daughter.”  
“She was trying to protect you from the darkspawn.” Gideon knelt beside her.  
“I don’t want a hero, I want my daughter! How could you let her charge off like that!”  
Carver stood looking at the paths into the clearing, “We need to move on before we all get taken by the darkspawn.”  
Wesley knelt beside Bethany, hands folded together in prayer, “Allow me to commend your daughter’s soul to the maker, ‘Ashes we were and ashes we become. Maker give this young woman a place at your side. Let us take comfort in the peace she has found in eternity’”  
Gideon stood head bowed, “At least father will have company.”  
Leandra held Bethany’s face for a moment longer, “I promise to never forget you, my sweet daughter.”  
As Gideon stood ten more darkspawn flooded in from each path, more shaking could be heard. The group prepared for another Ogre to come from one of the paths, Gideon prepared fire in his right hand as Aveline started to move forward. Countless darkspawn hissed flooding in on the group as the rumbling became louder and closer. Aveline and Carver started slicing through some of the hurlocks covering for each other. Wesley weakly stabbed a genlock and Gideon finished it off with his staff and launched the ball of fire as he turned, sending a few smaller genlocks flying into the air. The sky became darker as the wind became restless, howling past, causing Gideon’s braid to whip his neck forcefully.  
The sound of flapping wings could be heard, Please don’t tell me the bloody archdemon isn’t here, Gideon thought as the figure of a blood red dragon could be seen. The dragon circled around them, dipping down to grab several herlocks and genlocks into its mouth swallowing. It circled again as Gideon launched a chain of lightning into an emissary that had started a spell of its own, the dragon swooping down this time to spit fire into the remaining hoard of darkspawn.  
Wesley tried to back away from the dragon but tripped, Aveline ran to him grabbing his arm in hers. The dragon landed closing its wings around itself as it slowly shrinked into the form of a tall woman in a red robe, her hair was white and curled into horns protruding from her head.  
She walked towards Gideon, eyes scanning the five refugees curiously, “We never used to get visitors down here in the Wilds. But these days it seems they arrive in hoards.” She laughed her head tilted up towards the sky.  
Gideon stepped forward, allowing Carver and his mother to back away, “That’s a neat trick you have there, where’d you learn to transform into a dragon?”  
“Perhaps I am a dragon. Perhaps I am truly the archdemon. If so, be glad the scent of burning darkspawn has sated my appetite.” She laughed again, “If you wish to flee the darkspawn, you should be informed that you’re heading in the wrong direction.”  
Carver stepped forward angrily, “Are you just going to leave us here.”  
“Why shouldn’t I? I spotted something that made me curious. I mighty ogre, the most ferocious of darkspawn, slain. But here I am my curiosity fed, and you safe, for the moment. Is that not enough?” The woman turned to leave.  
“You could show me that trick of yours, it seems pretty handy.”  
The robed woman laughed and turned back to meet Gideon’s eye, “I daresay it is,” she stepped forward eying the staff in Gideon’s hand, “What a clever tongue you have, mage. Tell me clever child, how did you think you were going to flee the blight?”  
“We were heading to Kirkwall, in the Free Marches.”  
“Kirkwall, so far up north, what the voyage you had planned to flee the blight.”  
“How far would you recommend? I’ve heard the deep roads might be vacant now.”  
The woman laughed again, “You I like.” She walked forward taking Gideon’s hand to look at it, “Hurtled into the chaos you fight, the world will shake before you. Will you fight through the Earthquake, or succumb to its face value demands?” She turned as Gideon tilted his head, “Is this our fate intermingling, or simply happenstance?” She shook her head and turned back to the group, “Fortune smiles on the two of us, my child. I may yet be able to help you make your way to Gwaren.”  
“Any way you can help us would be appreciated.”  
Carver turned to Gideon, “Are you sure we can trust her, we don’t even know who she is yet?”  
Aveline turned her head still tending to her husband who’s veins could be seen blackening and his eyes seemed vacant, “I know what she is. She’s the Witch of the Wilds.”  
“Yes. Some may call me that. But I have many names, Flemeth, Asha’bellanar, an ‘old hag who talks too much’. But does my title matter if I can get this little group past the hoard. All I ask for in return is a small errand, would you do that for the ‘Witch of the Wilds?’”  
“How much trouble would this delivery be?” Carver asked angrily.  
“About as much trouble as me saving your life not a minute ago.”  
“Good point,” Gideon grabbed Carver’s shoulder, “She has us there.”  
“If you knew my daughter you’d know how seldom I hear that,” she mused, “Now will you do this delivery for me.”  
Gideon turned his head to the right where Carver and Aveline were, “Do you think we should trust her?”  
“Wesley is badly injured, I don’t think we’d make it without her help.”  
Wesley’s lips and mouth were beginning to blacken as he spoke, “Aveline, leave me behind if need be.”  
“No! I said I would drag you out if I had to, and I meant it!”  
“I see, we don’t have much of a choice now do we…”  
“We never do.” She searched her pockets for a small necklace, “Near Kirkwall there will be a small clan of Dalish, take this amulet to their Keeper, Merethari. She will tell you what to do with it later, do as she says and the debt between us will be paid in full.” She backed away looking at Wesley, “Sadly there is one other matter.”  
Aveline stood, “No! Leave Wesley alone!”  
“What has been done to him is within his blood already.”  
“You lie!”  
Wesley coughed until a dark liquid came out of his mouth, “She’s right love. I can feel the darkspawn’s taint corrupting my blood.”  
Gideon knelt beside Wesly, “This corruption is permanently in your blood then?”  
“The only cure I know of is to become a Grey Warden.” Flemeth said.  
Aveline cursed with tears in her eyes, collapsing to Wesley’s side, “And those all died at Ostagar.”  
“Not all, but those that survived left for Redcliff days ago.”  
Wesley’s shaky hands reached for Aveline’s “Aveline listen to me.”  
“I can’t do this Wesley don’t ask me to.”  
“The corruption is slowly killing me, it will take hours for me to die.”  
“He’s your husband Aveline, I can’t be the one to decide his fate.”  
Aveline nodded, turning back to her husband. She pulled out a knife closing her eyes, Wesley weakly wiped away her tears, saying, “Be strong my love.” as she delved the knife into his stomach. He coughed and choked out more blackened liquid before finally dying.  
She whispered a prayer as she stood from his side.  
Flemeth held one of Aveline’s shoulders, “Without an end there can be no peace, your struggles have just begun.” 

***  
Flemeth led the group to her cottage-like hut further south into the Wilds. Despite the darkspawn up north, the Wilds near Flemeth’s home seemed devoid of any disruption. Inside Flemeth’s hut were two beds, a chest in the furthest corner, and a fireplace where a pot layed, still filled with soup from her dinner, the windows were open letting in the sound of the wind and birds chirping. The room’s aroma was light, filled mostly with the scent of the outside wilderness’s flowers, a semi-sweet fragrance that settled in the homey cottage.  
“It’s a thankful thing that you have another mage in your midst, I might not have been able to get you near Gwaren without you,” Flemeth sat on the empty floor of the cottage, just outside a circle drawn on the floor, “Another point that may lead to this being a matter of faith.”  
“I don’t see a lot of people being thankful that I’m an apostate.”  
Flemeth laughed, “No, but I’m sure you noticed that I am not your average person.”  
“That’s for sure.” Carver scoffed.  
“I’ll need the three non mages to sit on the center of the circle, Gideon, you must sit on the further edge, but be sure all of you are in the circle.”  
“Why do you need us to be in the circle if you are not?” Aveline asked standing right outside the circle.  
“Because I am not going to Gwaren with you.”  
“And this circle will send us to Gwaren?”  
“The circle will transport you near Gwarin, in the Brecilian Forest, more specifically the Brecilian Passage, where no one will see you appear in a flash of light.”  
Gideon sat on the inside edge of the circle, “I’ve never heard of a transportation spell.”  
“The templars aren’t too keen on their precious mages disappearing on them. That is if they even know it’s possible.”  
“I see. How can I help with the ritual?”  
“I’ll need you to focus on making you and your party as light and weightless as possible, you are air that is simply being drifted to the forest.”  
When everyone is in the circle Flemeth hands a map to Leandra who sat closest to her. She asks if everyone is ready and begins the spell to send the Hawkes and Aveline to the Brecilian Forest. The circle around them emanates a warm glow. Gideon closes his eyes and focuses on making his party into weightless air. “I suggest you close your eyes, the journey can be a bit nauseating.”  
And with that the group was transported to the Brecilian Forest.


	2. Chapter One: Getting Into Kirkwall

Gideon had never been on a boat before, and he didn’t take being in the hold of the swaying and shaking ship very well. Gideon spent the first five of the 14 days on the sea with a fever and barely able to do anything but vomit, not that he was well off for the other week. When the ship neared Kirkwall it was early afternoon, through the grates in the deck, sculptures of slaves carved into the mountains could be seen, made in the time that Tevinter controlled the city.  
The ship docked in the gallows, the Circle tower looming overhead, showing that Gideon needed to be careful in his new home. Ferelden refugees grouped before a gated wall, some were shouting, others were crying.  
Aveline pointed at the wall, “Look at the group in front of the gates, I don’t think they're letting anyone in.”  
Leandra shook her head, “That can’t be.”  
“They would throw us back to the wolves, even if we’re fleeing the blight? Unbelievable!” Carver shouted as he caught up.  
Gideon patted Carver’s back, “I’m surprised they let us dock.”  
Leandra took the lead, walking towards the gates, “We need to find my brother, Gamlen. Our family has always been highly regarded in Kirkwall. He’ll be able to get us in, I’m sure of it.”  
As the group made their way through the crowd the guard shouted at Gideon, “Get back in the crowd, trying to bully your way through isn’t going to get you into Kirkwall!”  
Aveline stepped forward to be behind Gideon, “You do plan on letting us in, correct?”  
“We have enough poor of our own in the Free Marches we don’t need you refugees piling in and making the city worse.”  
“Is there someone in charge I can speak with? We need to get in contact with some family inside.” Gideon asked.  
“Fine, talk to my Captain through the gate. Just don’t try climbing the walls like a bunch of barbarians while you’re here.”  
Gideon motioned for his friends to walk through the gates with him. The halls that led to the courtyard of the gallows were filled with bronze plaques depicting the slaves who must have built the city, the mosaics led to a less than kind atmosphere emanating from the city. A few guards and a woman could be heard arguing.  
When they came to the courtyard the guard captain was being yelled at by three men who wanted to get into the city. The one in front had a beard and seemed to be the leader of the group, to the left there was a blonde man in well fitting leather armor, and on the right there was a man with red hair.  
“Let us through, we’re not staying in this courtyard forever!” The man screamed.  
“Then get back on a ship and leave, I can’t let you into the city, if you were guaranteed to have a job on the inside I could let you in, but I can’t just open the gates for you to fill up Darktown, it’s not going to be any better than what you left in Ferelden. Not only is that what I believe is best for you and the refugees around you, that is the exact orders from my guard captain. I can’t let you in.”  
Gideon walked past the men to speak with the captain, “You wouldn’t be here if no one could get in.”  
“I’m only allowed to let merchants and citizens in, I’m sorry but we can’t let anymore refugees into our city. We’ve been letting them in for months, our city is full. When it’s safe we can send you all back to your homes but we can’t let you in.”  
“We have family here, Gamlen Amell, he knows we’re coming.”  
“Gamlen, I know that name…”  
“He’s a noble here, we have an estate.”  
“Really, the only Gamlen I know lives in a shoddy shack in Lowtown. If he comes for you I can see if you can be let in but-”  
The men started yelling again, “You’re letting these people in, we’ve been here for four days! That’s enough you’re letting us in or else!”  
The men pulled out daggers and the leader lunged at the captain. Aveline stepped in, bashing her shield into his neck, knocking him back. Gideon stepped back as Carver kicked the man with red hair in the stomach. The blonde man saw Gideon trying to back away from the fight and leapt at him cutting into his shoulder. The captain attempted to block the dagger from Gideon, as Gideon cursed, in pain, pulling out a dagger from his side, the blonde man swung again, slicing into his right arm as Gideon kicked him away. Aveline took out her sword dodging two strikes from the leader as the captain dove his sword into the man’s side. The leader backed up, staggered as Aveline made a backwards horizontal swipe cutting his neck.  
The other men saw their leader fall and became angry. The blonde man made two more swipes at Gideon, this time Gideon dodged them before stabbing the man in the stomach. The ginger man made wild swings at Carver, but Aveline pushed her shield in front of him, providing an opening for Carver to swing his claymore into the red head’s midsection. Aveline dipped behind the red head to defend Gideon, stabbing the blonde in the back of the neck. All three of the men had fallen to the floor in defeat.  
The captain walked over to the bodies as the guard from earlier came running.  
“Captain, are you alright?” he asked out of breath.  
“Yes, these refugees helped with the ruckus. Get back to your station.” The captain turned to Aveline, “My name is Donnic, I was stationed at the Gallows until we’re able to send the refugees who can’t stay back to Ferelden, safely that is. You seem like a capable woman, are you willing to take up the shield as a guard of Kirkwall. Considering the mess we’re in right now we need the extra help, you’ll be guaranteed entrance into the city, I’ll take you to the guard captain in the Viscount’s Keep, and I’ll go and find Gamlen Amell on my way back to my station.”  
“I would be honored to serve Kirkwall alongside you, Ser Donnic.” Aveline said bowing. “Will you three be okay without me?”  
Gideon shook Aveline’s hand, “We’ll see you on the other side of the wall Aveline.”  
The group parted ways as Donnic escorted Aveline up the steps to meet the Viscount. Gideon leads his family to a small area in the shade to wait for his uncle to come meet them in the courtyard.  
***  
Three days passed before Donnic found them with a scruffy looking man with silver hair and an unkempt beard, Donnic motioned to the man saying, “This is the only Gamlen Amell I was able to find, I hope this is the person you needed.” Donnic nodded to Gideon before walking back to his station.  
The scruffy man looked at Leandra and shook his head, “When you ran off with that apostate to Ferelden I thought that you’d stay there for the rest of your life.”  
Leandra stepped forward, “Gamlen what happened to you?”  
“A lot of things happened after you left with that apostate to make your own life away from us. Don’t expect the name Amell to be the same.”  
“Look at yourself, Gamlen! You look like a drunkard! No wonder the Amell name was tarnished! I can’t imagine what the estate could look like now!”  
“I wouldn’t know, I had to sell it to settle some debt.”  
“You sold it! How could you?”  
“Like I said, I needed to settle a debt.”  
“Oh, how in the Maker’s name are we going to get into the city now?”  
“I have some contacts. They said that if your sons work for them for a year they can guarantee entry into Kirkwall.”  
“A year! Gamlen you can’t possibly ask that of them!”  
“Do you expect them to get a better deal into the city?”  
Gideon stepped in comforting his mother, “It’ll be okay mother, it’s just a year, we’ll be out in no time.” He turned to Gamlen, “Alright tell us where to find those ‘friends’ of yours.”  
Gamlen pointed to his right, towards the docks of the Gallows, “Meeran is the leader of the mercenaries, he’s that way,” he pointed to the left, “Athenril is the leader of a small band of smugglers, she’ll be that way.”  
“Alright brother, let’s see what they have to say, come on.” Gideon motioned for Carver to follow him, when they got out of earshot of Gamlin and Leanra he spoke again, “Let’s talk to Athenril, being a smuggler will make it a lot easier to hide from the templars, plus we’ll be fighting less which means that it’ll be a little safer. Does that sound good to you.”  
“It sounds fine, I just want to be inside, and out of this heat.” Carver responded, wiping sweat from his forehead.  
“Alright, let’s hurry then.”  
They walked to the small section of the Gallows that Gamlen pointed to, inside there was a small band of people behind a young elf woman with light brown hair, she was fiddling with a dagger that was in her hand. She looked up as the boys approached, angrily she nodded at the two of them asking, “What do you want?”  
“You must be Athenril, my uncle Gamlin said that you could get our family into the city.”  
“Oh, you must be the little Hawke children, Gideon and the younger one.”  
“My name is Carver!”  
“No need to get pissy with me boy, I only remembered Gideon because he told us that you were an apostate mage.”  
Gideon crossed his arms, “I hadn’t known he’d share that with you.”  
“No need to worry, mages are useful in our business, we can keep you safe from the templars, it wouldn’t be the first time we did it.”  
“Tell us about your business.”  
“We’re just what your uncle told you we were, I’m sure, we’re smugglers. In comparison to some of the others around Kirkwall, we’re small fish, we don’t deal in flesh or death like some of my competitors, so you could say we’re one of the most ‘ethical’ choices when it comes to dealing with smugglers.”  
“‘You could say,’ would that be a myth.”  
She laughed, “Nothing is ethical when it comes to underworld business, we’ll sometimes need poisons from our dealer Tomwise, you’ll get real accustomed to him, as well as our rune dealer Worthy, and our healer Elegant.”  
“Elegant?”  
“That’s her name.”  
“Alright. What do you need us to do?”  
“I was waiting for you to get to the point. We had a friend here, a merchant who decided to become a business partner with us, Cavril. He made a deal to pay us a percentage of what he made in exchange for the coveted spot in the Gallows, the disappointing thing is, he isn’t paying up. We can’t even get close to the little set up he has without one of the men around him screaming for the guards,” she pointed at the brothers, “but you two can. Talk to him, make him pay us what he owes and we’ll let you into our little business.”  
“Alright, come on brother.”  
Gideon took the lead again, on the opposite side of the Gallows to the entrance of the city was the merchant, Cavril, he was yelling at a young scrawny woman, she had blonde hair and had a few bracelets and necklaces in her hands.  
“If I bought all the trash that you Feredens brought with you I’d go out of business.”  
“I promise these are good pieces of jewelry, I’m not asking for twenty sovereigns, just a few pieces of silver.”  
“No! Get out of my face!”  
Gideon stepped up to the marketplace after the girl left, tears streaming down her face, “What happened here?”  
“She’s trying to sell me all the trash she brought with her from Ferelden.”  
“That didn’t look like trash.”  
“They were fakes.”  
Gideon crossed his arms and shook his head, not wanting to argue, “By the way, your little business partner, Athenril, sent me to get what you promised.”  
A man behind him stepped forward, “Do you want me to call for the guards?”  
Cavril shook his head, “No. I’m sick of arguing with that bloody knife ear.”  
Gideon glared shifting his weight, “I’m sure your carelessness is just a mistake, no business man would want to shout slurs pointed at his best partner. If you just pay a little bit back, we can put this little argument behind us.”  
“Fine,” the man spat, “here’s what I owe to that bitch.” He handed Gideon a small bag heavy with sovereigns.  
“Thank you, good sir.” Gideon winked at the man as he returned to Athenril.  
Athenril took the bag, pocketing it. “I’ll tell Donnic of your new employment.”  
Gideon joined back with the rest of his family, Carver following behind. Leandra rushed to her boys’ side. She threw her arms over the two boys, close to tears.  
Gideon hugged his mother back, “Athenril is going to get us into the city, we’ll be home again mother.”  
Leandra leaned back kissing the two boys on the cheek. “I never thought I’d need to get my boys to beg to get me back into Kirkwall. I’m so sorry you had to do this, but I’m so proud of how strong you two are.” She stepped back before hugging Carver separately, “I’m so proud of you two Carver, and more than that I’m so happy that you are alive. I love you two so much, I wish Bethany was with us, but I know you two did what you could to keep us all together.” Leandra was crying now as she stepped back, holding the arms of her two children, “I love you two, I’ll do everything possible to make Kirkwall a worthy home for my two amazing sons.” She landed one last kiss on each of their foreheads before wiping her tears.  
“I love you too mother.” Carver said, hugging Leandra’s side starting to cry as well.  
Gideon ruffled Carver’s hair, “Come on mother, let’s go home.”


	3. Chapter Two: Meeting Bartrand

Chapter Two: Meeting Bartrand  
The year of employment that Athenril gave the two Hawke brothers was almost at an end on the spring day when Carver brought Bartrand’s expedition up as a way to get the templars off Gideon’s back, letting Leandra get some rest instead of worrying about one of her children being toted off to live in the Circle for the rest of his life, away from his family. On the way up from Darktown, Carver spoke up.   
“Gideon, I know the Templars worry you, more than that I know they worry mother. I think I found a way to make you safe from the Circle. If we had a title like mom used to have, maybe we won’t have to be so scared of them. Gamlen always gets so squeamish when Leandra asks about grandfather’s will and the estate. When I was walking around darktown I found an entrance to the basement of the Amell estate.”  
“Do you know for sure that it’s the old Amell estate?”  
“You know that crest mom showed us a little bit ago, it was by the stairs.”  
“Alright, we’ll check it out when we have the opportunity to, but I don’t think we’ll be able to get the estate back just by looking at the basement.”   
“What about the expedition to the deep roads?”  
“Expedition to the deep roads?”  
“A few dwarves are going into the deep roads to try to find riches, we can one up all the mercenaries coming after him, considering that we’ve fought darkspawn before.”   
“Let’s talk to him, we’ve got a good word going around in the underworld. I’m sure he’ll know about us. We’ll just have to wait two more weeks before even contacting him, so Athenril doesn’t accuse us of breaking our deal.”  
“The deal that ‘we can’t work with any other person’ or that ‘we can’t leave Kirkwall without her permission’”  
“Making our unfinished business with Flemeth more unfinished.”   
“Yeah, I can’t wait to have that witch be a distant memory.”   
***  
Two weeks passed at a grudgingly slow pace for the two boys, as they counted down the days to their freedom from the smuggler’s gang, the day after Athenril set them loose Carver woke Gideon up at dawn to speak with the leader of the famed deep roads expedition. As they made their way up to the Hightown Market Carver spoke up.   
“Let me do the talking, I think I can get him to let us on to the expedition.”  
“Alright brother, talk his ears off.”   
Carver motioned for Gideon to take the stairs, passed the marketplace up to the corner where Merchant’s Guild stays. Carver led Gideon to a short dwarf with dirty blonde hair and a braided beard. Carver stepped forward after giving his brother a knowing glance, threatening him to honor the small deal they had, when Gideon nodded letting him speak first Carver started talking.   
“Your Bartrand, right? My name’s Carver, this is my brother Gideon, you might have heard of our time with Athenril. We’re refugees from the Blight, on our way out of Ferelden we fought darkspawn, more than most refugees I can assure you.”  
“Another refugee looking for a quick way out of the slums.”  
“You’re going to fight darkspawn, you’re going into a dangerous place, you’ll need to hire the best.”  
“No. You’re too late, I’ve already hired people. It’s done. Get out of my face.”  
“You need us. We’ve fought darkspawn.”  
“Look precious, I don’t care if you and your redheaded friend there ripped the horns off an ogre, I’m not bringing you along.”  
“We have a name in the underworld. Ask any smuggler or mercenary and they’ll tell you the same thing, we’re twice as good and half as cheap as any other higherling.”  
“But you’re a smuggler, not a bloody mercenary, if you think that’s anything close than you’re sorely mistaken.”  
Gideon crossed his arms but Carver glared at him to stay quiet.   
“Get you and your red headed friend out of here and get another meal ticket Ferelden.”  
Carver cursed before grabbing Gideon and pulling him aside trying to be discrete, “How are we going to make him understand? We’re running from your bloody templars.”   
“I know how you feel, Carver, but you need to calm down a little, we won’t get onto the expedition with you shoving your fist down his throat.” Gideon walked back to where Bartrand was and started again, “I want to apologize for my brother but his point still stands that we have the best skills to get you through the deep roads, you may think you need more mercenaries but smugglers can be better at knowing what’s worth more where. We can help you inside and outside the expedition.”  
“You need to get in line with all the other refugees who want a quick way out of the slums, I’m not going to provide you with it.” Before Bartrand could hear another word he walked off.   
Carver turned back to Gideon, “Well, back to waiting for someone to turn us in.”  
“It’ll be harder to navigate if we tear each other’s throats out.”  
“You’re right, I just have this feeling that we’ll either have to die in Lowtown or end up like the scum turning us down just for being refugees. It’s hard enough finding a job, needing to face them down feels twice as bad.”  
“Do you have any more ideas on ways to get us into that expedition?”  
“Don’t patronize me!”  
“That’s not what I meant, it was a serious question.”  
“Right. I can’t really think of anything but… uncle Gamlen.”  
“It’s worth a shot.”   
As they started heading back to Lowtown, Gideon felt something tug at his waist, when he turned he noticed that his pouch of coin was gone. He looked to his left to find a scrawny man running.   
“Damn it!” Gideon shouted, running after the man.   
Gideon pushed past nobles and guards to get on the thief’s heels. He dove in between columns leading into the street dividing the rest of Hightown and the Red Lantern District. As the thief gets to the street a mechanical sound reverberates through the street, Gideon stopped to see the thief pinned to a door by an arrow.  
“Another refugee looking for a quick way out of the slums.”  
“You’re going to fight darkspawn, you’re going into a dangerous place, you’ll need to hire the best.”  
“No. You’re too late, I’ve already hired people. It’s done. Get out of my face.”  
“You need us. We’ve fought darkspawn.”  
“Look precious, I don’t care if you and your redheaded friend there ripped the horns off an ogre, I’m not bringing you along.”  
“We have a name in the underworld. Ask any smuggler or mercenary and they’ll tell you the same thing, we’re twice as good and half as cheap as any other higherling.”  
“But you’re a smuggler, not a bloody mercenary, if you think that’s anything close than you’re sorely mistaken.”  
Gideon crossed his arms but Carver glared at him to stay quiet.   
“Get you and your red headed friend out of here and get another meal ticket Ferelden.”  
Carver cursed before grabbing Gideon and pulling him aside trying to be discrete, “How are we going to make him understand? We’re running from your bloody templars.”   
“I know how you feel, Carver, but you need to calm down a little, we won’t get onto the expedition with you shoving your fist down his throat.” Gideon walked back to where Bartrand was and started again, “I want to apologize for my brother but his point still stands that we have the best skills to get you through the deep roads, you may think you need more mercenaries but smugglers can be better at knowing what’s worth more where. We can help you inside and outside the expedition.”  
“You need to get in line with all the other refugees who want a quick way out of the slums, I’m not going to provide you with it.” Before Bartrand could hear another word he walked off.   
Carver turned back to Gideon, “Well, back to waiting for someone to turn us in.”  
“It’ll be harder to navigate if we tear each other’s throats out.”  
“You’re right, I just have this feeling that we’ll either have to die in Lowtown or end up like the scum turning us down just for being refugees. It’s hard enough finding a job, needing to face them down feels twice as bad.”  
“Do you have any more ideas on ways to get us into that expedition?”  
“Don’t patronize me!”  
“That’s not what I meant, it was a serious question.”  
“Right. I can’t really think of anything but… uncle Gamlen.”  
“It’s worth a shot.”   
As they started heading back to Lowtown, Gideon felt something tug at his waist, when he turned he noticed that his pouch of coin was gone. He looked to his left to find a scrawny man running.   
“Damn it!” Gideon shouted, running after the man.   
Gideon pushed past nobles and guards to get on the thief’s heels. He dove in between columns leading into the street dividing the rest of Hightown and the Red Lantern District. As the thief gets to the street a mechanical sound reverberates through the street, Gideon stopped to see the thief pinned to a door by an arrow.  
A voice laughed before saying, “You don’t have the charm to work Hightown, kid. I knew a boy who could take all the coins from your packet just from his voice.” Gideon looked down to find a dwarf with a complex looking crossbow, he put it back on his back before taking the pouch he stole from Gideon. The Charming dwarf handed Gideon back his money. “I believe he stole this from you, Hawke.”  
“Thank you. You can call me Gideon though.”  
“That surname is circulating around, you’re a real legend in the underworld.”  
“Flatterer.”   
“I’m not saying this to boost your ego my tall friend, I saw your little scuffle with my brother, he wouldn’t know a good opportunity if I hit him with it.”  
“And you can shove some sense into him.”  
He laughed, “I wouldn’t phrase it like that, but yes.”  
Carver came running after Gideon, out of breath, “What in Maker’s name were you running for?”  
“Someone stole my coin purse, but this lovely dwarf here helped me.”  
“My name is Varric Tethras, you must be the little brother, Carver Hawke.”   
“I’m always just the little brother.”  
“Tell me about it. While we’re on the topic of brothers, mine was being his lovely nug-humping self to you two earlier.” As Gideon raised one eyebrow in confusion, Varric continued, “My brother has always had a particular set of skills in dwarvish greeting. My brother is a fool on occasion, you see I’m the one who can keep any business venture like this expedition afloat, and unlike my brother, I know we need you along. What Bartrand doesn’t see is the potential the two of you two have, not as smugglers, not as mercenaries, but as business partners!”  
“You want the two of us to become business partners.”  
“You see, if you invest a little into the expedition, you’ll get it back tenfold!”  
Gideon crossed his arms, “Alright Varric, how much do you need us to invest.”  
“Just 50 soveregns and my brother won’t be able to turn you away.”  
“Great Dane’s bitch Varric! Are you kidding? If I had that kind of spare money I wouldn’t be begging to get on this expedition.”  
“You’re loose from Athenril, Hawke. You can take any job your two little bird hearts desire, just set a little from each job aside and you’ll be good to go weeks before we head off to the Deep Roads.”  
Gideon crossed his arms as Carver finally spoke up, “I suppose we should go see if Aveline has any jobs for us.”  
***   
Inside the Viscount’s keep were guards on either side of anything that had sides, the stairs, doors, hallways into doors or stairs, no one sneezed in the Viscount’s keep without a guard watching it. As the group entered the teal doors to the main hall Varric bagan speaking thoughtfully.   
“It’s a little uncanny the resemblance you two have, Carver.”  
“We’re brother’s, what’s uncanny about it?”  
“Oh, you thought I meant Gideon. No, of course you two look similar, but you and Gamlen are like babies from the same crib.”  
“Andraste’s ass Dwarf! I despise you!”  
Up the stairs they went, passing guards who nodded a greeting similar to, “Good day Sarah,” as each passed. Gideon led them to the barracks where Aveline stood, eyes glued to the schedule board.  
Gideon stepped down the stairs, “Aveline!”  
“Oh? Hello Gideon.”  
“That’s all I get?”  
“Oh? Right it feels like we just saw each other. You should watch out for Bartrand, he’s a son of a bitch.”  
“You had people follow me?”   
“Saves me talking to you directly, Athenril was watching you, and I couldn’t just go up to you as one of the guards and ask you how you’ve been.”  
“Makes sense.”  
“The Hawkes are no children, I know that, but I take care of my friends. Plus my patrols are clean, do more use to watch you anyways, gets the more dangerous people caught. Least it used to before Athenril set you loose. How’d that been handelin’ you?”  
“I’m sure you can figure. Glad to be under no one’s control, but we don’t have the same security we used to.”  
“I can understand that, it just feels like I’m sitting on my hands around here, waiting for dangerous people to explode. It’ll probably get worse as the Quinari stick around for longer. If you’re looking for a job I might have one, you’re free from Athenril so you can get payment from the guard right?”  
“Nothing to get Crows on my ass I hope.”  
Varric spoke up, laughing, “Crows too far away from your species Hawke, not birds of a feather?”  
“Your Dwarf friend has a wit about him, that’s for sure, how about that job?”  
“Let’s hear it.”  
“My patrols are always empty, but I found something suspicious coming up in another patrol, an ambush, probably for a caravan or merchant.”  
“How’d you find out about this ambush.”  
“I have contacts in Low and Darktown. I got wind of the usual spots being empty, lack of meat. Someone was hiring, and that someone was warning about ‘Travelers’. You learn to watch those below you to get good in this job, especially when those pulling the strings are planning to escape.”   
“Shouldn’t you be alerting your fellow guards instead of me.”  
“Look, you need the money, and I need this done properly. It’s not much more complicated than that.”   
“And you can just hire a civilian?”  
“There’s only so many guards, temporary recruits are welcome if they can get the job done properly. I’m hoping you at least claim to be competent, right?”  
“Alright Aveline, let’s play guard.”  
“I’m not playing, just you are. They’re up Sundermount, tell me when you plan on busting their heads and I’ll be there with you. I trust you, but I’ll need to be there.”  
“Not that I have anyone that can replace you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Note on how Flemeth gets Hawke to Gwaren: I know the way I get them to Gwaren is outlandesh but I was racking my brain on how she could get them there for days, trust me when I say this was the best I could come up with.


End file.
